Sleeping Beauty (Gender bender)
by Tarienlover
Summary: We all know the classic story of Sleeping Beauty. What if Aurora was Aland the beloved Prince of King Stefan. And he was cursed by the evil wizard Malefiso. Will he have a happy ending like Aurora? Or will his ending be darker?
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a mighty kingdom ruled by the fair and noble King Stefan and his beloved Queen Leah. Everything was perfect in this kingdom except they did not have a child to succeed the throne. Queen Leah longed for a child of her own as she would sit by the window and stare out at the beautiful countryside that surrounded the palace. The neighboring king, Hubert, would often come to visit with his young daughter and she would lavish the girl with love and affection. "How I wish I had a little one of my own." Finally King Stefan and his queen were blessed with a child! It was a beautiful baby boy, a prince. They named him Aland, after the sun, for he filled their hearts with sunshine. They held a ceremony to greet the new prince and everyone in the kingdom and the neighboring ones as well came to bring gifts and blessings for the child.

King Stefan and Queen Leah were seated on their thrones as they welcomed the visitors. After greeting the happy parents, they would go look at the newborn prince. He was lying in a crib not far from the queen so she could reach him if need be. He would look up at the different people who would stare and coo at the adorable baby. When King Hubert arrived with Princess Felicia, Queen Leah got up and brought her over to see her son. They had already decided that they would be married and she wanted to see how Felicia would react seeing her future husband. The girl looked down and all she saw was a chubby baby with drool covering his front, and she was not impressed. Leah chuckled seeing the girl's reaction.

Everyone looked up when the trumpets sounded, signaling the arrival of the three good fairies; Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. They glided down from the ray of light that suddenly illuminated the throne room. Flora was the eldest of the three and wore a red dress and matching hat, Fauna wore the same style dress and except hers was a forest green, and the youngest, Merryweather, wore her dress and hat in a light blue. As they came down to rest on floor they fluttered over the now sleeping prince.

"Oh the little darling!" Merryweather cooed.

Now that they had seen the infant, the fluttered over to greet his proud parents.

"Your Majesties." They said in unison as they dipped in a curtsy. Flora stepped forward to begin speaking.

"Your Majesties, we shall bless the prince with three gifts. No more, no less."

Stefan and Leah nodded and the fairies glided over to stand around the crib. Flora stepped closer to administer her gift.

"Sweet Prince, my gift to you shall be the gift of Joy, may you never be blue." As the fairy waved her wand to cast the spell, tiny green lights fell softly onto the baby.

Flora stepped back and Fauna took her place. She smiled sweetly and said, "Tiny Prince, my gift shall be the gift of Loyalty, may you always be true." Just as Flora had, she waved her wand and red lights floated down to him. Merryweather walked up to bestow her gift, but as she opened her mouth to utter the spell the windows and door flew open as a gale of wind swept through the throne room. Tapestries billowed on the walls as a crack of lighting struck the middle of the floor. In its wake a green fire burned and a man was revealed as it dissipated. He wore a black cloak with purple trimmings, his skin was pale with a green tint. He had long curving horns on the top of his head, and his golden eyes had a steely glint to them. In his left hand was a staff with a crystal ball on the top, a glossy black raven flew around to perch on the ball. The man smiled, sending chills down the spines of the guests. As he stepped forward the staff echoed through the hall with a clack. Stefan, Leah, and Hubert rose to block the new arrival.

"It's Malefisto!" Fauna gasped.

"What does _he_ want?" Merryweather grimaced. Flora shushed her not wanting to attract his attention. Malefisto stopped in front of the monarchs and looked around at the visitors.

"Well, King Stefan, quite a glittering assemblage we have here.' His deep voice echoing in the stillness. 'Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and-", he pauses as his gaze fell on the fairies. He chuckles, "Oh, how quaint. Even the Rabble."

Merryweather charges toward the evil man, but is held back by Flora and Fauna. He chuckles seeing how much he affects the little goody goodies. He turns back toward the hosts, "I had hoped that it was merely an oversight that I did not receive an invitation. But as I can see from all of your reactions,' he glances meaningfully at Merryweather, 'that I'm not wanted."

Queen Leah steps forward and asks in a shaky voice, "I hope you are not offended, Your Excellency."

Malefisto turns is gaze to the queen, causing her to step back toward her husband. Stefan puts a protective arm in front of her. Malefisto smirks and says in an overly happy voice, "Why of course not, Your Majesty. And to show you that I bear no ill will, I too shall bless the child."

Fearing the worse the fairies step protectively in front of the crib. Malefisto raised his arms, causing the raven to fly off. Slamming his staff down he bellowed, "Listen well! All of you! The prince shall indeed grow to be a fine young man. Beloved by all who know him."

The crowd was deathly quiet, waiting with baited breath to hear what spell he would cast. Malefisto's smirk drops and starts to circle his hand around the crystal ball on his staff. "But before the sun sets on his sixteenth birthday, he shall prick his finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel,' images could be seen in the ball to match the words of the spell, 'and DIE!" The crowd gasped as they saw an image of a grown prince lying lifeless on a bed.

"No!" Gasped Queen Leah as she ran to hold her precious baby. As if she could shield him from the horrible fate that had been cast on him. Malefisto's cackle echoed through the hall as King Stefan ordered his guards to seize him. However the evil man disappeared in a blaze of green flame, his raven following. The hall was silent as the truth weighed down on the once joyous celebration. King Stefan wrapped his arms around his wife and son, wishing he could do something to change this. Queen Leah stared down at the small bundle in her arms. Aland slept peacefully, unaware of the danger he was now in. Hubert placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, feeling for the man. He couldn't imagine something like that happening to his own child. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather stepped forward. Flora cleared her throat to get their attention. Once all eyes were on her she said, "Do not fear, Your Majesties. Merryweather still has her gift to give."

Stefan gazed at her with hope, "So she can undo this fearful curse?"

Fauna shook her head sadly, "I'm afraid that he's too powerful."

Stefan's head hung in despair. Fauna continued, "But she can help."

Flora and Fauna pushed her toward the baby in his mother's arms. Leah held him out so the floating fairy could see his sleeping face. Merryweather gulps, hoping she can fix this. She pushes her sleeve up and raises her wand. "Sweet Prince, if through this wicked wizard's trick, a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you shall keep, and from this slumber you shall wake, when from true love's kiss, the spell shall break." Blue lights drifted down to envelop the child. Queen Leah hugged the infant close and placed a kiss upon his head. King Stefan ordered everyone to leave, as he had work to do in order to protect his only child.

Hubert followed him to give his advice and help in any way he could. He sent Felicia to stay with the Queen. They walked to the baby prince's room which was next door to the King and Queen's. She started to pace around the room trying to come up with a plan to stop this horrible curse. Why did this have to happen? Her baby didn't do anything! As if sensing his mother's distress, Aland started to whimper. Leah stopped and started to rock him, patting his little back and making soft shushing sounds. Felicia watched from across the room where she stood by the window. She was witnessed everything and was stunned by what had happened. How could anyone curse a helpless baby? She had known King Stefan and Queen Leah all her life and they had only ever been kind and gracious to everyone. She had been there with Leah as she had pined for a baby and when she finally had one, _this_ happened! She vowed that she would protect Prince Aland no matter what.

King Stefan, still fearing for his child, ordered that all the spinning wheels be destroyed. Hubert agreed that it was a necessary precaution. They watched from the castle windows as a huge bonfire was lit in the courtyard and all the spinning wheels were thrown in. Queen Leah held Aland through all of this, she was afraid that if she put him down Malefisto would come and take him away. Although they knew they had sixteen years before the curse would be complete, they still feared that he would be taken away sooner. News about the curse spread throughout the land and many sorcerers and magician came to see if they could break the spell on the tiny prince. Alas, just as the good fairies said, Malefisto's power was too great. The only hope that the innocent baby had was the spell that Merryweather cast.

Princess Felicia took to holding Prince Aland when the Queen needed to sleep for a short time. The poor woman wasn't getting any sleep, what with the intense worry she had and just the struggle of having a newborn. Although unlike most, Aland did not cry as often. For the most part he was a quiet, happy baby. He was sleeping at the moment in the princess's arms. She was rocking him gently in the rocking chair next to the window. He started to stir so she put her finger next to hand and he gripped it in his little hand, falling back asleep. She smiled and pressed a kiss unto his forehead and continued to rock him.

Unknown to the monarchs, the good fairies had a meeting in one of the empty rooms. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather locked all the doors and as an extra precaution, they used their magic to shrink themselves and flew into a small jewelry box. As Fauna and Merryweather settled down, Flora locked the door to the jewelry box sealing them in. Flora turned and faced her fellow fairies.

"Alright, girls. Let's start the meeting."

"Yes! How can we further protect the prince?" asked Fauna. She conjured up a floating tea set and served hot tea and cookies. Merryweather sat down and grabbed a cookie and her cup. She started to scarf them down, as she was a nervous eater and this was definitely a nervous time.

"Why don't we just go and show that horned creep who's boss?!" She said with a growl.

Fauna looked at her shocked. "Merryweather! You know we can't do that. Our magic doesn't work that way. We are all about love and kindness. It wouldn't do anyone any good."

Merryweather glowered while stuffing another cookie in her mouth. "Well it'd make me feel better."

Flora stirred her tea with her wand as she paced around the small space. She always paced when she thought, which annoyed Merryweather to no end. She tuned the others out as she was trying to come up with a plan.

"Why don't we turn him into a flower?" Flora asked. "You see a flower can't prick its finger!"

"Oh he'd be a lovely flower!" Fauna cooed.

"Yea, until Malefisto sends a frost." Merryweather huffed. Flora and Fauna sighed. What could they do that would keep him safe and away from Malefisto? If only they could just take him away. Hide him somewhere. Flora gasped, "That's it!"

"What's it, dear?" Fauna asked.

"We'll take the prince into the forest and raise him ourselves!"

Fauna and Merryweather looked at her as if she'd gone insane. Merryweather was the first to speak.

"And how do you expect to raise him? We've never taken care of a baby before. Plus they're so much work! You gotta feed it, change it, ro-"

"And rock it to sleep! Oh, sounds wonderful!" Fauna interrupted. Merryweather huffed. Of course she'd be on board. As she thought more about it, it seemed like the best plan, but she wasn't too keen on being tied down for sixteen years. Flora continued to lay out her plan.

"Oh, if humans can do it, so can we. Now there's the abandoned woodcutter's cottage, that'd be the best place. We can fix it up and it's deep enough in the forest that no one would find us."

Merryweather thought for a few minutes and asked, "Well of course it'll be easy with magic."

Flora spun around and flew right up to her. "Oh no! There will be no magic! It's too risky."

Merryweather backed away as Flora started for her wand. "Well how will we cook and clean and all that?"

"Oh we'll all pitch in!" Flora exclaimed as she took Fauna's wand. Using her own wand she turned their fairy made clothes into normal human clothes. And with a flick of her wand she made their wings disappear. Merryweather, now without wings, was having a harder time getting away from Flora. Sadly, she tripped and before she could get up Flora grabbed her wand. With a satisfied huff, she walked to the door and opened it. Using her magic to un-shrink herself and made her way to the door, until she heard Fauna calling for her. Without their wands Fauna and Merryweather could not use magic, so Flora returned them to their original size. The three fairies rushed to King Stefan to tell him of their plan. They found the royal couple in the baby's room, watching Aland sleep in his crib. They all gathered around and listening intently to the brilliant scheme the fairies had created. It took some time, but the King and Queen finally agreed to let the three take their most prized possession and raise him as their own. For sixteen years and a day they would not see or hear from him. That night, with no pomp and circumstance, the fairies raced into the woods, carrying a sleeping Aland, to an old woodcutter's cottage, where they would be safe until the fateful day when he would be reunited with his loving parents.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews, it really means a lot! I wonder how many noticed that I used the actual lines from the movie? It was so hard to figure out which gifts to give him, since it would be kinda weird to give a guy beauty, and singing, hope they're not too bad. Anyways, don't own! Don't forget to review if you would like and happy reading!**

The sun shone brightly over the rolling hills and forests, casting warmth to all who basked under it. Flocks ran over the dewy grass to where their shepherd stood, farmers dug into the rich earth to plant their crops. All around there were people working, sweating under the sun. Deep in the forest, where the sun didn't shine as bright, a lonely young man also worked. He was carrying a basket in which to place the berries and nuts that he found. He knew it wasn't the rightful chore that a man would do. Normally, it was a girl who would gather and a man who would do things like chop wood, or some other manual labor. He did do those chores, but sometimes he liked to go out by himself into the quiet of the wood and take his time picking. He would listen to song birds who would flit around the branches and sing him sweet love songs. Small chipmunks and squirrels would run around his legs, chattering. He always had a soft spot for animals, big or small, he usually shared his lunch with the ones who were brave enough to come close. He does have a few that he has become very close to. There was an old barn owl that he had saved a few years ago, a couple of song birds that he raised, and the special animal that was his best friend. He didn't get to see him often but when he did they spent hours together.

This young man, who was walking blissfully under the canopy of trees, came across a clearing. It seemed the perfect spot to stop and rest. As he sat down with his basket he looked up at the sky, the sun making his hair glow. He had golden hair that flowed in waves around his pale face. His bangs were short enough to where you could see his bright blue eyes that shone like the ocean. His long legs stretched out in front of him, bare feet playing in the soft grass. He wore a simple long-sleeved white shirt with a black vest. He looked down at his gray breeches, noticing the grass stains that had formed. It was time for them to be washed again. His aunts wouldn't be happy. He was constantly getting his clothes washed, he would try hard not to get dirty but they always seemed to accumulate dirt and stains. He sighed and went to stand up to head back to the house, when he heard rustling in the bushes. He turned his head to see what had caused it. It was obviously bigger than a rabbit or squirrel, and he had an idea of what it could be. He slowly stood up and got into a defensive position. He held his breath as he waited for the creature to show itself. It grew quiet and nothing happened for a few minutes. He relaxed and went to walk away when suddenly he heard a crash and whipped around to see a giant full grown bear! He dropped the basket and went completely still hoping that the bear didn't rush him. While he could defend himself, he knew that it would be all over if it decided to attack. The bear was shifting on its paws, snorting into the air. He suddenly raised up on its hind legs and let out a huge roar. Knowing that the last thing he should do was run, he straightened up into his full height and gave his own roar at the beast. The bear dropped down onto all fours and gave a snort. Then suddenly, the bear rushed at him! He braced himself for impact hoping that it didn't hurt too terribly, when the massive animal collided. He was thrown to the ground as the bear started to snort and try to go for his face. He pushed at the bear's face and muzzle hoping to get it off, but his arms were at a definite disadvantage when it came to the size and strength of a full grown bear. It easily got past his defenses and went straight for his face. The last thing he saw was the bear's mouth opening wide to start its attack.

In a clearing not far from the young man was a quaint woodcutter's cottage where three women diligently worked to make everything ready for the party in a few days. One was working on checking on supplies for the food, one was looking at designs for the new clothes, and the other was cleaning the house. Indeed these three were very excited, as they had been waiting for this day for sixteen years. Yes, these women were the three fairies that had traded their wands for human tools. Even though Merryweather hadn't been too keen on the no magic rule, it turned out be a wonderful plan! She, along with Flora and Fauna, had put aside all their differences in order to raise the prince into the wonderful young man he is. Merryweather sighed as she recalled those hard first couple years. It was very tough to learn how to cook and do pretty much everything as a human, not to mention raising a newborn baby! In order to protect Prince Aland, they changed his name to Briar. While they didn't want him to know about his birthright until the day he would be brought back, they did make sure he had the schooling that would help him. Simple reading, arithmetic, and etiquette were the most of what he was taught. As they didn't have any neighbors, Briar didn't know what was "normal" for a peasant to know. Flora taught him how to dance a simple waltz, "just in case you meet a pretty girl" she had said. Looking back, Merryweather wondered if it had been a good idea to keep so much from him. After all, he would have to go back in a few days, and she could only imagine the shock of having an entire kingdom thrust into your future. She walked over to Fauna, who was checking all the ingredients they had for the cake they would be making.

"Fauna, do you think we made the right choice?"

Fauna stopped what she was doing and looked over the woman, who still to this day wore blue. Placing her hand on her shoulder she said, "Why, whatever do you mean, dear?"

Merryweather shrugged and expressed her concerns for keeping secrets from Briar. Fauna sighed, "I admit that I've had thoughts about this, as well."

Merryweather nods, glad to not be the only one. She wondered if Flora felt the same way but before she could go and ask she heard a shriek from outside. They ran outside to see what had happened and saw to their shock, Flora whacking Briar with a broom! He was covered from head to toe in mud, sticks and leaves sticking up every which way in his once golden hair. He had his arms raised in defense while having a grin plastered on his face. Flora was yelling about what a messy boy he was, and how he made more work for her. Looking behind him they saw the cause of why he was in such disarray. Looking at each other they both said one word. "Bernie." Sitting on his haunches, cleaning his claws, not a care in the world was a giant bear. The same bear that had "attacked" Briar. When he was just a cub his mother was killed by hunters and so he was wandering around trying to survive, when a young Briar found him. It took some time but by bringing him food and slowly earning his trust, he gained a life-long friend. Bernie had become Briar's best friend and before he became too big, he would sleep in his room on a rug at the foot of the bed. Now that he couldn't fit inside the small cottage anymore, Briar would sometimes sleep outside and cuddle with the big fuzzy baby. That's exactly what Bernie was, a baby. Even though he would go off for days on end to look for more food, he would always come back, and as soon as he smelled his friend he would run to him and tackle him to the ground where he would shower him in kisses and hugs. Of course being a good four hundred pounds made it difficult for Briar to stay clean when he wrestled with him. Briar laughed good-naturedly while apologizing to his doting aunts for the mess he made. He placed his half empty basket on the table as he went to change in his room. Most of the food he had gotten was devoured by Bernie before he could save what was left.

After bathing and getting into some clean clothes, he helped his aunts in preparing dinner. It was always a fun time when he helped them. Sometimes he wondered how they had survived with how much they messed up the cooking, but it was always edible and he never went hungry. After dinner they all sat around the garden watching stars and talking about random things. Briar mostly sat and listened as they told stories of him growing up and all the fun they'd had over the sixteen years. Flora paused in her story to wipe her eyes. Briar stopped in his petting of Bernie's head, who was on his lap, to ask if she was ok. Flora smiled softly, nodding. He got up and knelt in front of her and clasped her hands.

"What's wrong, Aunt Flora?" He asked in the soft, dulcet tones of his voice.

Flora gripped his hands and smiled, "It's nothing, dear. Just seems like just yesterday you were but a babe, and now you're almost sixteen."

Fauna and Merryweather nodded their agreements. They were going to miss these quiet times. He wouldn't be their little Briar, he would Prince Aland and would be treated as such. Briar gazed at each of his loving aunts. He knew that they loved him, and they had been the best parents he could ask for. He drew Fauna and Merryweather over to Flora and proceeded to wrap them in a big hug.

"Why are you all sad? You all act like this is end! I'm only sixteen, it's not like I'm going away. I'm gonna be right here with you!"

The fairies returned the hug and after a few more minutes told Briar it was time for bed. He said goodnight and gave Bernie one more hug before retiring to his room. They all sat together, gazing at the stars. Fauna was the first to break the silence.

"I hope things go well. I couldn't bear to see the curse completed."

"Don't worry, girls. Malefisto has no idea where he is. And once his birthday passes everything will be fine." Flora said.

Merryweather nodded, "That's right! We did our job very well."

They all looked up at the window that led to their sleeping charge. They knew everything would be over soon, so then why did they have such an ominous feeling?


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the delay, been suuuuper busy with everything. Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you guys are liking it! Anyways don't own (I wish) and happy reading!**

The sun was setting over the valleys, casting an orange glow over everything. If you were near the castle and looked up to one of the windows, you'll see a man standing there. He's there every night, staring out over the forest that is growing darker as the sun sets lower. He'll continue to stand long after the light is gone and the moon is starts to illuminate the darkness. No one knows why he stands there, maybe he's simply enjoying the sunset. Only a few know the truth behind the man's actions. They will gaze from a far, watching with sadness as he seems to grow thinner and older as each sunset passes. This man is none other than King Stefan. It was from this very window that he and his wife, watched with heavy hearts, as the fairies took their prized possession deep into the forest. He always found himself here, watching the sun set. Yes, it was beautiful, but he longed to see figures come out of the woods. He longed to see how his son looked. Had he grown tall like him? Was he handsome, or hid he have a more feminine look? All night he would dream of his child. He would dream of how he thought he might've grown. Seeing him walk for the first time, hearing his giggles as he tickles him, teaching him to hold a sword, watching as he grew into a good man.

The sun had finally set and as the last rays of light disappeared behind the horizon, a single tear broke free to slide down his cheek. Another day gone without seeing his beloved child. He knew it was only a few more days before his birthday, but as that should've filled his heart with joy, instead he felt sadness. What was to stop the curse from coming true? Who's to say that he hadn't already been found and taken? His mind was overrun by all these thoughts, even the wine he drank could not stop the images from playing over and over in his head. He suddenly felt arms around his waist and looked back to see beautiful blue eyes, shimmering with unshed tears. His beautiful, amazing wife. His Leah. Wrapping his arms around her, he laid his head on hers, breathing in her scent. She always knew when he needed her. She looked up at him and gave a small smile.

"Do not worry, my love. I'm sure they are safe. If something had happened they would've told us."

He sighed, knowing she was right. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Leah could tell that her husband was not at ease, but truthfully neither was she. She knew that has the day came closer so too did the evil that had cast their lives into shadow. They would not be at peace until their son was home, safe and sound.

Far away, deep into the Forbidden Mountain, the darkness that had reigned was growing impatient. The ruler of this mountain, Malefisto, was pacing his throne room. He had sent another search party to scour the neighboring towns and forests. How did a baby disappear?! There was no way that his minion had not been able to find the boy! Sixteen years as almost past and he was closer to revenge than before. It must have been those good-for-nothing fairies! They had something to do with, but he didn't know how they could've hidden a child for this long. He was so engrossed in his thought that he didn't hear the party return. It was only when his faithful raven landed on his shoulder and squawked that he looked up. In front of him the latest search party was huddled. He stormed over to loom over the leader.

"Well?! Did you find him?!"

The leader wrung his filthy clawed hands, and muttered something. Malefisto stomped his foot hard, causing a loud boom to echo through the caverns.

"Speak up, you miserable oaf!"

The minion straightened and brought his hands to his side. His voice rang out loudly, if a little shaky. "No, my lord. We didn't find him."

Malefisto had figured as much. He groaned and put a hand to his head, where a headache had been constant for the last few years. He looked around at his other minions. They had all looked and looked, but none had found even a trace. He turned back at the leader and said, "Are you _sure_ you searched _everywhere_?"

The leader grinned and said with confidence, "Yes we did! We searched every town, every house, the forests…" He was counting each one of his fingers. He paused as if thinking, then suddenly it clicked. "And all the cradles!"

Malefisto stood there dumbfounded.

"Cradles?"

The leader nodded and put his arms in a way that you would use to rock a baby, "Yep! Yep! Every cradle!"

Stunned, Malefisto walked back to his throne. He sat down heavily, the raven fluttered down to the armrest to look at him.

"Did you hear that, my pet? All this time they've been looking a _baby._"

Suddenly, he throws his head back in maniacal laughter. He's laughing so hard that he hunches over and grips his stomach. The minions are staring at their Lord as if he's lost his mind. Then they start to chuckle and soon the whole room is full of laughter! Just as suddenly as it started, Malefisto stops his mad laughter. He stands up and with his staff in hand he screams at the worthless monsters.

"FOOLS!" He strikes out at them with lightning, causing them all to scatter.

"IDIOTS!" He continues to cast lightning, hitting the useless minions, and as they are fighting their way into every nook and cranny he lets out one big strike screaming, "IMBECILES!"

Catching his breath, Malefisto looks around and sees that the throne room is now empty. All his minions have scattered off to hide from his wrath. He rubs his head as his headache has suddenly increased into a horrid migraine. He sits himself on this stone cold throne, feeling more exhausted.

"Oh, they're hopeless. A disgrace to the forces of evil." He groans.

He looks over at his pet, and the black bird cocks his head in question. He smiles softly, the bird being the only thing he can truly rely on.

"Oh, my pet. You are my last hope." He puts his hand out in front of the bird and he extends his legs to rest on his fingers. The raven looks expectantly for the order that will soon follow.

"Circle far and wide. Look for a lad of sixteen, with golden hair and three female guardians. Go."

The raven flew off out the open window and he hears his master's voice echo behind him, "And do not fail me."

Back at the woodcutter's cottage, the three fairies were continuing to plan for the party. They were huddled over an open book full of clothes designs. They wanted to have a proper outfit for the prince when it was time for him to go home. The one they were looking at now was a fine suit indeed, fit for any royal. It was a two-piece with a removable cape. The tunic was a solid color with white pointed shoulders, with the neck collar high, almost to the chin. There was a black belt that fitted around the waist and there was a triangle pattern that pointed down toward the edge the tunic. The leggings would be a paler color than the tunic and have knee high boots. All in all, it was a gorgeous suit and Briar would look amazing in it! Flora, of course, wanted it to be pink, but Merryweather was wanting it blue. Fauna didn't really care either way so she let the two argue as always. She looks toward the stairs where she heard Briar cleaning. She hoped he didn't come down for a while so they could finish preparing. She turned back around to try and break the two women apart.

Briar could hear the ruckus downstairs, and he wondered what they were doing. His birthday was in two days and he had begun to suspect that they were planning something. He finished cleaning the upstairs windows and sweeping and headed down to the kitchen to finish his chores. He came to the landing and saw the three women huddled over the table. He smirked and walked over to them.

"And what are you three dears up to?"

Startled, they spun around, hiding what was on the table.

"Up to?"

"Up to?"

"Up to?" The three women said one after the other. Briar smirked, he knew they got very flustered when they tried to hide something from him. He calmly stood and waited for them to come up with an excuse. They were stuttering and not making any sense. Finally, Merryweather took a basket and handed it to them.

"We want you to pick some berries."

Flora and Fauna jumped on the idea, "Oh yes! Berries! Lots of berries!" they said.

Briar felt himself being pushed out the door and he said, "But I picked berries yesterday? Even if Bernie ate a lot, there should be enough right?"

Flora took his broom and cloth and put his cloak on his arm.

"Oh, no dear. We need lots more!"

Fauna continues to push while agreeing with Flora. Briar looked back to the door where he was standing by the garden. Bernie was laying down, watching the display. He smiles at them as they wave goodbye, telling him to be careful, don't go too far, watch for strangers, etcetera. With the basket in hand and his cloak around his shoulders, he starts to walk toward the woods, Bernie following closely. He now knew without a doubt that they were planning a party! He was excited to see what they came up with. As he walked, all his little forest friends started to come along. Briar thought that this was going to be the best birthday yet! Unknown to the young man, a girl was riding her horse through those very woods. While she had always ridden through this forest, this was the first time she had gone this far. Maybe today, she'd find what she was looking for.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally back with another chapter! I wasn't too happy with the ending, but I didn't want to drag it out. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it really helped me keep going! Hope you guys like it and like always I sadly do not own. Happy reading! **

The forest was peaceful and bright as Princess Felicia rode her faithful stallion down an unfamiliar trail. She always loved riding through the forest when she had the time, but she found it harder and harder to get away. Her father was constantly having her do lessons on how to be a proper lady and future queen. It caused him much grief that she would rather ride or practice swordplay. Because her mother had died when she was very small, her father had taken to bringing her along on most of his trips, and thus she was surrounded by soldiers who would watch her while the king went about his business. Felicia smiled as she remembered the dueling tournament she entered last year in disguise. She fought her hardest and all those years of training paid off, as she won! She had thought that her father would be happy that he had such a strong daughter to take over the kingdom. Oh, how wrong she was. He was so mad, he screamed and ranted for hours afterward. They even had to call the doctor because they were afraid that he was going to have a stroke. She felt bad about stressing him out more, as if running a kingdom wasn't hard enough.

In punishment for her little stunt, she was sent to boarding school. There she learned how to act like the queen she would soon be. After all, in only a few short years, she would marry Prince Aland and they would be the rulers. Felicia found herself thinking more and more about her betrothed. What did he look like? Did he have the same interests as her? There was so much she wanted to know, but no one knew where the fairies hid him all those years ago. She had spent many days with Queen Leah talking about what we thought he had grown up to be like. It was almost like a game between them, which parts did they guess right and wrong.

Samson, her black and white stallion, nickered and tossed his head. Felicia gently patted his neck knowing that he was getting impatient to get back to the palace. "Just a little farther. It's been so long and I want to know where this trail goes."

Samson snorts to voice his discontent, but keeps going for his rider. They travel farther into the forest and they decide to rest in a nice clearing. Felicia dismounts and goes to get the bread and cheese she had packed in Samson's saddle bag. He contents himself with the sweet grass as she settles down to eat. Looking around she notices some bushes that are full of berries. Grinning she sets out to pick some to have with her snack. She's so busy picking the juicy berries that she fails to notice the large tracks that surround the bushes, until she hears a low growl right behind her.

Turning around, she unsheathes her sword. Her eyes widen as she beholds a monstrous bear, its pelt raised in aggression. His lips are pulled back to show sharp teeth that could easily rip her to shreds. Raising her sword, she prepares for the attack. The bear stands on its hind legs and roars, just as she was about to lunge, she heard someone yell. Out of the bushes beside her a young man leaped out. He immediately stood in front of her, but instead of facing the bear, he was facing her!

"Stop!" He said with a glare. All she could do was gap at him. Did he really just tell her to stop defending herself from what was obviously a very ticked off giant bear?! Well she certainly wasn't gonna sit by and be mauled to death. Raising her sword higher she spoke her mind, "Are you crazy?! Or do you just have a death wish?"

The boy didn't stand down, he stood up straighter and said, "I'm not the one with a death wish. You're the one who comes barging into his territory and threatens him with a sword when all he's done is tell you to go away."

Felicia just stares at him. She didn't know what to say to him. He had valid points but the one thing she couldn't understand is the fact that the bear hasn't tried to attack him! It almost looks calmer now that he was between them. She stares at the bear and it snorts and paws the ground in agitation. She turns back to the boy to see him still glaring at her. Slowly, she lowers her sword but keeps it out just in case. She wasn't going to let her guard down till she got some answers from this guy.

Briar slowly lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding when the girl finally lowers her weapon. He's never seen a sword in person before, only in the picture books he read as a child. He knew that it was the knights and princes who had them, not the ladies. He could feel Bernie behind him, still on edge, but calming little by little. The girl is looking at him intently and it's starting to unnerve him. He reaches behind and pets Bernie's soft fur, it always seemed to calm them both.

"Um, what do you think you're doing?"

Briar turns to look at the girl. She had a tight grip on the sword and was staring at him in shock. He was confused. It wasn't that unusual for people to pet bears. Is it?

"I'm petting him. Isn't it obvious?"

Her eyebrows rose so high they almost disappeared into her hair. Backing up, she went to her horse who had been standing in the trees away from Bernie. She started to pet him and then went to her bags. Briar had no idea what she was doing but he didn't want to find out. Silently, he and Bernie took off into the bushes down the trail that led to the house. He would get to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, they would know what to do.

As he was running, he heard the girl call out to him and the sound of her horse galloping toward him. Glancing behind, he saw her gaining ground and fast. He put on a burst of speed, jumping over rocks and logs, darting in-between the trees, trying to lose her. He burst through the trees and into a clearing, but before he could make it to the other side, he was stopped by the girl and her horse and he knew he was trapped.

Panting, he stood there as she dismounted and came towards him. As she drew closer he noticed how pretty she was. The clothes and the dirt from travel hid that and he could only imagine how she'd look actually dressed as a girl. Suddenly, their faces were very close and he took a step back. "Why did you run?" She asked.

Briar swallowed and said that she had made him and Bernie nervous. She looked at him shook her head, stating that he was the weirdest boy she'd ever met. After that it turned into an argument, which ended with them both on the ground laughing after grappling with each other. Smiling, Felicia holds out her hand. "I'm Felicia, by the way."

Grinning back, he shakes her hand firmly but gently and says, "Briar. Pleased to meet you."


End file.
